This Never Happened Before
by hockeygoddess27
Summary: After Sara is rescued, she takes some time to evaluate her life.  My take on post season 7 stuff.  NickSara
1. Every New Beginning

Hi ,this is my first ever story, so please let me know if it's worth continuing. Thank you so much!

I don't own CSI or much else for that matter. The title of this story is a song by Paul McCartney. The title of this chapter is from Bon Jovi's _Welcome to Wherever You Are._

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Every New Beginning is Some Beginning's End 

I've always wondered what it would be like to fall completely, head over heels in love. It just seemed like it would be the greatest feeling in the world. Like you'd be dizzy and giddy, happy and sad, moody and carefree. All of these things at once. And everyone would look at you, and actually be jealous that you were feeling that way. Because they knew, you had something that just can't be explained by words. They'd want that, that ecstasy that comes with loving someone so much, everything else takes the backseat. I don't know if I'm explaining it well, but that's how I wanted to feel. I wanted to be the lucky woman who lost her mind, because she'd lost her heart.

I spent most of my life waiting for it to happen to me. And then it did. And while it may not have been exactly what I was expecting, it was possibly the most amazing feeling I'd ever experienced. But enough of my insane ramblings. And on to the story…

It was my 25th birthday when I walked onto a crime scene in Las Vegas. It was hot. A different kind of hot. I was used to humidity, that heavy suffocating heat. This was different; I spent five minutes in that heat and felt like I needed to be treated for dehydration. If someone wasn't careful in that kind of heat, it would knock them on their ass. I, thankfully, had a full water bottle in my car. It wasn't long before I spotted my mentor from my past taking notes as a body was heaved of the building we were standing in front of. Looking down from the top of the building was an attractive man, younger than the one in front of me. I caught the end of what he was saying.

"Norman jumped."

"Wouldn't you if you were married to Mrs. Roper?" I asked him, attempting to be witty. If his amused tone was any indication, I hit my mark.

"I don't even have to turn around. Sara Sidle…" Gilbert Grissom smiled as he turned toward me.

"It's me…Still tossin' simulation dummies. There are other ways to tell, you know." I teased Grissom. I hadn't seen him in quite some time. It was a little bittersweet seeing him again. We had what you could call a history.

"Grissom!" We both turned to look up at the guy on the roof. I shaded my eyes to try and get a better look at him, but he was just too far away. "Griss, what happened?"

"He was pushed."

"Does that mean I can come down?"

"Yes, that means you can come down. " Grissom turned back to me, a smile still on his face. I smiled back, but it faded when I remembered what I was there for.

"How's the girl?"

"Not good. She's in surgery right now."

"Why did Warrick Brown leave that scene?"

"I don't know, Sara. I don't know. That's what you're here for." Grissom replied. Apparently he didn't realize that was a rhetorical question. If he knew why Warrick left the scene, I wouldn't have been there.

At that moment the man from the roof appeared to my right. He was talking his head off. He was talking a mile a minute, informing Grissom of everything that had gone on up on that roof. Of course, his version of a mile a minute was a bit slower than yours or mine. He had a soft Texas drawl that thickened when he got excited. Finally he looked over and noticed me.

"Is that her, Griss?"

"Yes, Nick, I'd like you to meet Sara Sidle." He shifted toward me. "Sara, this is Nick Stokes."

I reached out and shook the hand that Nick Stokes offered. I took the opportunity to study him. He was tall, much taller than me, and I'm 5'8". He was also well built; it was obvious he worked out to keep himself in shape. As someone who ran at least 5 miles every night, I respected him for this. This guy was pretty hot. I'm not afraid to admit it. But right away I learned that he was also nice and funny. I had a feeling Nick Stokes and I would get along well.

I knew I wasn't really welcome in Las Vegas. I was brought in to investigate why a new CSI was shot on her first day. A Warrick Brown was supposed to be tagging along with her, and a cop should have been out front. I was supposed to find out what went wrong. The only thing I knew for sure right away was that Warrick had neglected his duties, deliberately leaving her alone at that scene. And here I was, in charge of finding out why Holly Gribbs was now fighting for her life.

Standing in the break room at the LVPD crime lab, I found out for sure that I definitely was not welcome in Vegas. This team protected their own. I was the outsider who spelled danger for their unit. I couldn't blame them. I actually found myself wishing I could be part of a team like that. Where everyone looked out for everyone else and you always knew someone had your back. I envied what they had, and I suppose that didn't help the strained relations between us. But as I'd suspected, I didn't have much trouble with Mr. Stokes.

Warrick Brown was in trouble. Very big trouble. I found out why he wasn't with Holly Gribbs that day. It didn't bode well for him. I suspected my findings would result in his dismissal. I was sorry. I didn't think he deserved that. He'd made a mistake, and I truly believe he never can quite put that mistake out of his head, even now. But he didn't lose his job. And I received one. As part of the team I'd wished only a few days before to belong to.

And I stayed on. For so many years. It's my seventh year working the graveyard shift at CSI, and I don't regret a single minute of it. There are plenty of memories from over the years I wish I didn't have. But they've molded me into the person I am now, and gave me the ability to live, to feel, to love. It was something I'd been missing for a long time.

But here I am getting ahead of myself again. I'm trying to tell the story, but I just keep getting distracted. I guess because I have no idea how to tell a story so long, so complex. It's a story that spans almost a decade. One should always start their story at the beginning, but hell, I just told you about that. The beginning of this story and the most important beginning were on that hot September day, when I shook hands with Nick Stokes.


	2. Where Does Love Go When It Dies?

Thank you to everyone who reviewed, I really appreciate it. Here's the next chapter for you all. (Title for this one courtesy of Def Leppard!)

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Where Does Love Go When It Dies? 

Nick's been through so much as a CSI. But he's been so strong through all of it. He is possibly the only member of the team who understands me. He and I have one crucial thing in common. Empathy for the victim. Maybe because we've been victims. It's not something you forget. Nick never seems to stop being a victim. Like on that quiet night he had a gun held to his head for the first time. He came back to the lab crushed. Nick always has faith in people, and I guess it kills him a little inside when he's proven wrong. Of course, that wasn't the only time Nick's had a gun in his face. There was Nigel Crane. Nick moved right after that, but it still woke him up at night. I'll never forgive Nigel Crane for taking away another piece of Nick.

We moved on though. I guess it was a little easier to move on when the incident was a short, isolated incident. But then Nick was taken. I will never forget not being able to get a hold of him, not knowing where he was. I could always count on Nick, and suddenly he wasn't right where he should be.

But it was worse when we found out where he was. This time a little part of me died. Seeing him in that box, he was screaming, I could tell. He cried. I cried with him. All night I wasn't able to tear myself away from the screen. It was slowly killing me to see him that way. But it was worse not knowing exactly how he was doing. And when we found him…his gun held to his throat. I wanted to just dive in that hole and yank the gun away myself. But I couldn't. I couldn't move, I couldn't do anything but stare. Grissom and Warrick were amazing. We got our Nick back.

I'd be lying if I said things went back to normal. Nick grew up a lot after that. It took a long time before he could joke around with Greg and me at the lab. He needed help after that. Who wouldn't? I was there for him. There wasn't much I could do to fix everything, but I tried. He couldn't stand being alone after that. That was alright with me, because I couldn't stand worrying about him all the time. At least when I was with him, I was assured he was alive.

The worst was when he had nightmares. He'd wake up in cold sweat, screaming. Then he'd get so embarrassed that I'd seen him like that. He didn't want my pity. I think he wanted me to see the same old indestructible Nick. I never thought any less of him when I had to hold him until he stopped shaking. Undoubtedly, it made me admire him so much more, and I'd realize I could never be half the person he was.

It was after Nick's last near brush with death that things changed. We were no longer two carefree people. Before, we'd had a constant flirty banter underlying all of our conversations. Now everything was all business, even when we had been such good friends before. I guess Nick's burial dealt a harder blow than any of us could imagine. Things changed. For that, I'm sorry. But where I turned was even worse.

I know you're wondering what I did that was so wrong. Was it drinking (which yes, I've had a brush with a few times), drugs, caffeine? No. Though I am addicted to caffeine. You wouldn't want to see me when I don't get my coffee. But I didn't wallow in something like that. Instead, I found myself running away from Nick. And I ran to Grissom.

You probably remember me saying earlier that Grissom and I had a history together. Well, in the two years after Nick's burial, that history repeated itself. I ran to Grissom, we started seeing each other. But I knew it wasn't what I wanted. I didn't love him, didn't need him. And I knew he didn't love or need me. It was just a messed up relationship between two workaholics who don't know how to let their guard down and enjoy life for two minutes. We weren't right for each other. We never were. I don't know what it is that Grissom needs, but I know what I need. And, I'm sorry to say, Grissom just doesn't have it.

When I realized this, I broke it off. Working in the crime lab all of these year, one thing I've learned for sure is that life really is too short. I wasn't going to waste in a relationship that gave me little more than a headache. I feel as if I'm being harsh and bitter here, but I'm really not. It's just that now I've been the one to have a brush with death, and it has clarified any apprehensions I may have had in the past. I don't really want to go into detail about how that all happened. All I'll say is I made it out alive (obviously) and that I realized just how much everyone at the lab meant to me after that. I was suddenly so indebted to Nick and Greg, who worked so hard, and saved my life. I could never thank those two men for all they've done for me.

I have one problem with what happened that cold, rainy night. And it doesn't even have much to do with me. Like I said earlier, Nick wants to believe that people really are good, and it crushes him when he's proven wrong. Natalie proved him wrong. My brush with death sent Nick spiraling back into a place we'd thought he'd escaped for good. I felt so guilty, even if it wasn't my fault. Nick needed a vacation, he needed it badly. With me on mandatory leave, I know Grissom couldn't really afford to give him that vacation, but Nick was sinking, and fast. I felt that I was responsible for this turn for the worst and so I knew it was up to me to make sure Nick pulled out of it. That's where this story really begins.

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Note: Okay, so I made some stuff up about Sara being rescued. I like Nick, I like Greg, so I figured they could rescue her! 


	3. Stand By Me

I don't own CSI, you know that. The title of this chapter comes from the one, the only, Ben E. King. Enjoy.

Stand By Me

"Grissom," When I spoke, my voice was low, but deliberate. He looked up at me from behind his desk as I stepped into his office. I continued, "We need to talk."

"Sara, you're on mandatory leave, you shouldn't be here. Go home." He went back to whatever form he'd been filling out before. This was so like Grissom.

"I'm not here about work. At least not really." I slid into the chair in front of his desk and crossed my legs. When he looked up this time, he put his pen down and took his glasses off, a signal that he was prepared to listen to what I had to say. I took this as a sign to continue. "I'm here about Nick. You can't deny it, he hasn't been himself lately. Warrick called me and told me he's been moody, yelling at suspects, missing things at scenes. That's not like Nick. I know you're already short-shifted because of me, but I think maybe you need to give Nick a vacation."

"I can't now. You yourself just said I'm short shifted. When you come back in two weeks, then maybe we can squeeze in a vacation for Nick."

I couldn't believe Grissom had dismissed the subject that easily. He wasn't good with people, but usually he took very good care of his team. To say I was angry with Grissom is an understatement. I was furious. Nick was one of my best friends, probably the best, and it was killing me to see and hear about Nick not being happy. Nick's meant to be a happy, cheery kind of guy, and when even he can't see the light at the end of the tunnel you know there must not be one. This is what angered me the most. Grissom was content to sit by and watch Nick become a shell of the man he used to be.

"Dammit Grissom," I said, not caring who in the lab heard me yell at him. "Nick needs this vacation and you know it. He busts his ass for you and for the rest of this team. And now he needs to step back, he needs to get away from it and you won't give him a vacation? Dammit, Gil. He deserves it." When Grissom didn't respond, I just let the rest of it out. "Nick's taking a vacation. Two weeks. He will not come anywhere near this lab. You won't see him reporting for work, but don't you dare reprimand him for that. If you have a problem with Nick taking a vacation, then fire me." Grissom remained silent after this exchange. Finally he nodded slowly.

"Two weeks," he answered. "Nick reports back to work the same day you do." His eyes shifted to a spot behind me. "Alright Nick?"

I turned to see Nick standing in the doorway behind me. He looked confused; he looked sad; he looked tired. He looked at me with eyes that were unreadable beyond that. I nodded to Grissom then got up. I wanted to say something as I brushed past Nick, but I couldn't. Instead I lightly brushed my fingertips over his cheek, just trying to show him that I cared.

I knew Grissom and Nick probably wanted to talk, but I wanted to catch Nick before he left, so I headed over to the break room to see if anyone was around. Catherine and Warrick were sitting at the table debating a case they were working. Greg was over by the coffee maker; no doubt dumping out the sludge day shift leaves us every night. If I played my cards right, I might just time this perfectly to enjoy a cup of Greg's blue Hawaiian before I left. They all smiled at me as I entered.

"Sara," Warrick came over and gave me a hug. "I thought you were on mandatory leave for the next two weeks?"

"I am." I turned so I was facing everyone. "I was actually here to talk to Grissom; I figured I might as well come in and say hi to all of you."

"Oh, what did you have to talk to Grissom about? Coming back to work early?" Catherine teased.

"No," I blushed. "I uh, actually, um, forced him into giving Nick a vacation."

"Oh, was that what all the yelling was about?" Warrick asked, then laughed. "You did good, girl. Nick needs a vacation. Badly. Take care of him for us, will you?"

"Of course." I smiled sadly then gave each one of them a hug, and poured myself some of Greg's coffee, before heading to the locker room where I knew Nick was.

Just as I suspected, Nick was at his locker gathering his things. I guess Grissom had been serious about letting him have his vacation. But I didn't know if Nick was going to be mad at me or not. I'd interfered where I didn't belong. I shouldn't have stormed into Grissom's office that way without first talking to Nick. Now I'd find out if Nick hated me for what I'd done. I cleared my throat lightly, edging towards him.

"It's okay, Sara. I'm not mad at you," Nick said without turning around. His voice was quiet, his accent was thick. He really was tired, weary. It nearly broke my heart. He wasn't mad at me, that was a relief. But was he okay with what I had done. And when I told him the next part of my plan would he be excited? angry? apathetic? I was hoping for the first, I would settle for the second, but an apathetic Nick I just couldn't handle. And right now, he sounded kind of apathetic.

"Nick, I'm sorry if I crossed the line, but I'm worried about you. I knew you wouldn't ask off yourself, so I did it for you."

"Sara, I said I'm not mad." Nick spat out then slammed his locker shut. Nick could say whatever he wanted, but right now, he was beyond mad, he was pissed. Ah shit, what have I gotten myself into?

"Yes you are." When he still didn't turn around, I found myself getting more impatient. "Dammit Nick, at least have the decency to turn and face me. Here I am offering up my job so that you can get a vacation so that you don't have to suffer through this alone, and you're pissed at me. Do you think it was easy storming into Grissom's office tonight and putting my job on the line to make sure that you're going to be okay? It wasn't, Nick. But I don't regret doing it because you're my best friend and I'm not going to let you get sucked into the job like I did. Look at me Nick, I'm miserable, I'm half a person because I live for this job. I don't want you to end up the same way. You're too alive, Nick." At this point I ran out of steam because he had turned, he was facing me. And he was smiling at me. In a bemused sort of way, but still. Under his gaze, I blushed and started to turn away.

"Thanks Sara. For the vacation. For everything. I owe you one."

I shifted so I was looking up at him. "You shouldn't be thanking me, Nick" I said as I ran the back of my knuckles along his chin. "You were the one who saved my life." _More than once_, I added silently.

A few minutes later we were leaving the lab, not to return for a full two weeks. Nick's hand rested on the small of my back as he led me out. It was dark now, despite the fact that our normal shift wouldn't have even started yet. I smiled up at Nick when he led me to my car. He paused a minute and I took the opportunity to broach a subject I wasn't sure he'd be comfortable with.

"Nick, I think maybe you should go see your parents. Go spend some time in Texas."

"I was thinking about that."

"You need to get away from it all. Not just the lab, but you need to get away from the whole city. I mean, they call it Sin City for a reason," I commented dryly.

He gave a half laugh. "My sister's having a huge engagement party this weekend. I didn't think I'd be able to make it, with you being on mandatory leave and all. I'd like to be there."

"So go, Nick. You could even start packing and leave tonight. For us it's still early."

"Go with me," Nick said. The statement was out so fast and it was so unexpected it didn't even register when he said it. I just mumbled something about how it's nice he'll get to see his sister on such a special night. He grabbed my chin and forced me to look up at him. "I'm serious, Sara. Come with me. I can assure you, it won't be boring."

"I…no. Family stuff really isn't my thing. But you go, have a great time. Don't let me stop you."

"Sara, I'm not the only one who needs to get away. Now, if you can handle packing in such a short time, I can pick you up in about an hour." My mouth was hanging open, I'm sure of it. He gave me a half smile as he pleaded with me. I don't think I could have said no to him if I'd wanted to. And for some reason, I didn't want to say no. Going to Texas with Nick sounded better than lying on my couch watching Court TV for two weeks.


	4. Life Is A Highway

Okay, heres a second chapter for the day. I feel bad because this one's kinda short. It's mainly filler. I don 't own CSI or Nick's parents, but I do lay claim to the rest of the Stokes'. Title taken from Tom Cochrane.

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Life is a Highway 

Less than an hour later I was sliding my suitcase into the back of Nick's SUV, wondering how I'd let him talk me into this. He gave me a reassuring smile as we climbed into the Tahoe. The half smile was oddly comforting. I had figured Nick would be flying out to Houston, but instead we were making the 21 hour drive there, in the middle of the night. The spontaneity of it all made me laugh out loud. Nick even let out a chuckle when he saw how funny I found it that we'd be making this trip by car. We stopped for gas and coffee before Nick swung the Tahoe onto the highway. Soon we were roaring down the thruway, talking, laughing, and singing along to the radio. It was just like old times. Nick was the only person I allowed myself to be this carefree around.

Soon the conversation slowed, and we changed the music. It was my turn to pick the cd, and I found Michael Buble's new one in Nick's glove compartment. I was mildly surprised to find it in there. Nick tended to prefer country and classic rock. Michael Buble was a little off his radar, or so I thought. With the soft music playing, I felt myself being lulled into sleep, but I shook myself back awake and forced myself to sit up. If I fell asleep there was no one to keep Nick awake, and I didn't want him getting tired and getting into an accident or something.

I decided conversation was the best way to keep us both awake, so I raked my mind for a topic that would keep us amused for a while. Finally, I figured it out.

"Nick, tell me about your family." Hey, I was on my way to meet them, I should have a little background on them.

"Where should I start?" Nick smiled. "Okay, my parents. My dad's a judge and mom's a lawyer, a public defender. People tend to think that would keep them too busy to raise a family right. But they were amazing. They were the best parents we could ever ask for."

"Well, they raised their son right, I can tell you that." I mumbled and Nick rewarded me with a smile.

"Then I have 5 sisters and a brother. And I'm the baby of the family. Okay, let me see. I'll start with Leigh, she's the oldest. Leigh's funny and smart, your typical Stokes," he added with a grin. "But Leigh's living all the way in New York with her husband and their kids, Stephan and Michelle.

"Next we have the twins. Michael and Andrea. Both are happily married, Michael and his wife, Stephanie, they have four kids, Charlotte, Michael Jr., Dana, and Aiden. But Andrea has 3. Her husband's name is Daniel, and the kids are John, Lizzy, and Jamie. After Mike and Andi we have Amy. Amy lives up in South Dakota now because that's where her husband works. You'd like Jack." Nick paused and nodded. "Yeah Sara, I think you'll like Jack. He's really smart like you and reads anything he can get his hands on. But anyway, Amy's pregnant with their first right now. Rebecca's next by age. She's the quiet Stokes. She has a baby girl named Amanda. And then we have Sammy. She's the one who's engaged. Sammy's pretty much my best friend," Nick slid a sidelong glance at me. "Well, besides you anyways. Sam and I did everything together when we were kids. And now she's getting married. "

And by my calculations, that left Nick as the only single Stokes. Interesting. Nick talked about his family a little more, but mostly about his nieces and nephews. He lit up when he talked about them. To me it sounded like Uncle Nick was your typical favorite uncle. It didn't surprise me at all. Nick was just that kind of guy.

Unfortunately my great plan to keep myself awake by talking to Nick backfired. His soft, low Texan drawl lulled me to sleep. I awoke an hour later to find Nick's sweatshirt draped over me and him still driving beside me. He was humming along with the radio, occasionally singing some of the lines. I closed my eyes again and listened to him sing softly to a Bon Jovi CD I'd put into the stereo before falling asleep.

Then I felt the car turn and Nick begin to slow down. I opened my eyes to see what was going on. Nick noticed and smiled over at me. I smiled back. I noticed we were on an exit ramp. I looked over at Nick questioningly.

"I'm getting tired. I figured we should stop for the night before I fall asleep behind the wheel."

"Oh," my lips formed another smile. "Well, I guess I'm okay with that."

We pulled into a Holiday Inn just off the highway; it was already 3 am. Nick and I had a totally different body clock than normal people. We'd still be in the middle of work if we weren't on vacation. Nick told me to wait in the car while he got rooms for us and I was all too happy to oblige, seeing as I was still half asleep. He came back a few minutes later with 2 card keys. He grabbed our bags and led me to our adjoining rooms. We decided we were too tired to eat, so we would just meet up in the morning for breakfast. As I was about to close the door to my room, Nick leaned in and kissed my cheek. I was a little shocked by this action, so I hardly heard him whisper "Thank You" in my ear. He then brushed a piece of hair from my face and bid me goodnight. I crawled into bed and fell asleep, still fully clothed, a few minutes later.


	5. Home

Okay, first of all, I know that Nick is supposed to be from Dallas, but I don't like Dallas, so I changed it to Houston. (I like their football team better!!) Sorry about that. This is another short filler chapter, but hey, maybe I'll post another one for you later today. Title courtesy of either Michael Buble or Daughtry. You decide.

Home

Because my internal clock was all thrown off, I woke up around 7. I stretched before getting up to shower. I dressed in a pair of shorts and an old Harvard tee shirt I had brought with me. We were going to be in the car all day so there was no point in looking good. I guess. I knocked lightly on the door that adjoined my room with Nick's. I didn't want to wake him if he was still asleep. However the door swung open a few seconds after I knocked to reveal Nick standing there in jeans, but no shirt.

"Hey, Sar." He said as he made his way back over to his suitcase. "Let me find a shirt, then we can go grab breakfast if you want. We drove about 7 hours last night. That leaves us with about 12 or 13 by my calculations. If we hit the road by nine, maybe I can make it home by midnight. Even earlier. Then I can enjoy tomorrow with my family."

"Yeah, of course," I murmured. Nick had to go and remind me this was his family vacation. I felt like an intruder. Nick wouldn't think about it, but when he's around his family, he's not going to pay any attention to me. Not that he should. He should be spending time with his family. I just mean that I don't belong here. Are you following me?

Nick noticed that I was really quiet while we were eating breakfast.

"Sara, what's wrong?" He asked softly as he studied me from across the table. I pushed my pancakes around my plate trying not to look at him.

"Nothing."

"Sara, you haven't eaten anything." When I started to protest, he cut me off. "No, you're just pushing it around, and cutting it into smaller pieces. Now, tell me what's wrong, because spending 13 hours in that car is going to be hard enough without us fighting."

"I just feel like I'm intruding, Nick. I mean, you're going to your sister's engagement party. I've never even met Sam. I don't belong there."

"I asked you to come for a reason, Sar. If you didn't belong here with me, I wouldn't have invited you. You're going to have a great time. I promise." Nick smiled at me then went back to eating his breakfast.

The next 12 hours were spent in his Tahoe. We just drove and drove and drove. We switched off, making sure Nick would get the last leg of the journey to take us to his house. It was boring, I'm not going to lie. We made it as bearable as possible by singing along to the music and talking. We also took turns sleeping, because at least it helped to kill some time. It was 10:30 when we finally pulled into the driveway of Nick's childhood home. Right away we jumped out of the SUV, eager to stretch our legs. I was a little nervous about going inside though. I'd met Nick's parents once before, but it wasn't the time for small talk and getting to know each other. I didn't know if they'd even remember me. Nick noticed my hesitation and pulled me into a hug.

"Don't worry, they're going to love you."

When we entered the house, the front foyer was empty and quiet. We could hear low voices coming from a room just off the foyer. I looked over at Nick. He gave me a reassuring smile before grabbing my hand and walking into the living room. A woman about our age was talking, but her voice trailed off as we walked in.

"Nicky!" She squealed, running up to hug him. He let go of my hand as he reached up to catch her and spin her around as they hugged. She had to be Samantha. She just fit every description he gave of her. He laughed as she slid out of his arms and then smacked him on the arm. "Nick you said you weren't coming! What are you doing here?"

"I'm on vacation. Two weeks." Nick smiled. "Yeah, Samantha, it's really nice to see you too."

"Oh well, sure that's a given." Finally Sam noticed me standing a little behind Nick, not wanting to intrude. "Aw, Nick, you brought your girlfriend. You never even told me you had one!"

"She's not…"Nick said as I broke in.

"I'm not…" We looked at each other and laughed.

"Sara works with me, she's on mandatory leave for the next two weeks. So I brought her with me."

"We both just need a little break from work and from Vegas," I said, nudging Nick. I didn't want everyone to know that I was on mandatory leave. It sounded like I did something wrong or something. No one seemed to notice though. Nick introduced me to everyone in the room. I met all of his siblings except for Andrea. Her and her husband weren't going to be there until the next day.

"Now now guys," Nick's mother, Jillian, broke in. "I'm sure Nick and Sara are tired from the long drive. Let them go upstairs to bed. We can talk in the morning. Nick," She turned to address him. "Sara can have your old room. You'll sleep on the pullout in the den."

Nick led me up to his room, which was right next door to the den. He smiled at me, telling me he was right there if I needed him. He kissed my cheek again as he bid me goodnight, then pulled the door shut leaving me standing in the room he'd grown up in. I glanced around, noting the athletic trophies and masculine feel to the room. It felt like Nick's room. I changed into boxers and a tee shirt before crossing the hall to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I returned to Nick's room and crawled under the covers before falling asleep.


	6. What If I Loved You?

Okay, so I was going to hold out in hopes of more reviews, but then I just felt the need to post the next chapter. I'm quickly running out of written chapters, though. Then I'll actually have to get creative again. Oh no. Anyway, I still don't own CSI. I put it on my Christmas list, but I guess Santa forgot. Oh well. The title of this one is from some song that was in the movie_ Return to Me_.

---_hnm_

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What If I Loved You...? 

When I woke up the next morning, sunlight was streaming in through the window. I rolled over and looked up at the clock, smiling when I realized it was almost eight o clock. I don't sleep in often so I love when I do. I crossed the hall and quickly showered. I combed out my hair and brushed my teeth before heading back over to my room. I was wrapped in a towel and singing to myself when I realized Nick was sitting on the bed waiting for me. He laughed when he saw me, but I saw him scan me up and down before his eyes settled on my face.

"Nick." I said. I'm not sure I was entirely comfortable with Nick blatantly checking me out in his bedroom.

"Sara," he replied, struggling to keep his eyes on mine. "Are you almost ready for breakfast? I intercepted my mom before she could add meat to everything." He gave me a half smile. Leave it to Nick to actually remember I'm a vegetarian.

"Yeah, Nick. Let me get dressed and I'll be right down."

When Nick left, I searched my suitcase for something to wear. I decided on a blue skirt and a white and blue tank top to match. Once I'd dressed, I pulled my hair back into a half ponytail because it was still wet. I knew it was unnecessary, but I felt the need to put on a little makeup before I headed downstairs. I met Nick just outside the kitchen. He looked me up and down, then gave a low whistle.

"You sure don't come to work dressed like that, Sara Sidle."

"Likewise, Nick Stokes." Nick was wearing a pair of jeans and a tight Texas A&M shirt. He looked good. I mean, he looked really good. Relaxed, well rested. And hot. He just plain looked hot. Oh my God, what am I thinking? This is my coworker; I shouldn't be thinking about him like that. Nick offered me his arm and we entered the kitchen for breakfast.

"Oh Nick, Sara, Good morning." Nick's mom said as we entered, pushing a piece of hair off of her forehead. "Samantha Stokes, get in here and carry the rest of this into the dining room! Where's Charlotte?" Mrs. Stokes looked a little flustered. I kind of felt bad for her.

"Mrs. Stokes, is there anything I can help you with?" I asked.

"Oh, don't bother dear. You're the guest. And please just call me Jillian. I only get called Mrs. Stokes at work." She made a face and then laughed. "Nicky, take Sara into the dining room and make yourselves comfortable. Breakfast is just about ready. Sara, Samantha will tell you what we girls are doing today," she said with a wink.

Nick gave me a kiss on the top of the head as he pulled out a chair for me to sit down on. Now, Nick and I have been friends for years, but all this extra affection was new. We flirted all the time, but I could count on one hand the occasions Nick had even kissed my cheek before the vacation. Now it seemed like he was being overly affectionate. Not that I minded, which I think he gathered by the fact that I gave him a shy smile every time he did it. But now he'd dropped a kiss on the top of my head in front of everyone in the dining room, and half of his family was looking at us speculatively. Great. Nick returned to the kitchen after making sure I was okay in the dining room.

"Sara," Samantha got my attention. "So are you going to go shopping with the rest of us girls today?"

"Oh, um, I don't know," I answered. "I don't want to be in the way or anything."

"You won't be, trust me. And you don't want to be here with all the guys. I still need to buy a dress for my engagement party. And what girl doesn't love shopping. We're going to leave right after breakfast." Sam flashed me a smile, and I realized I really wanted to go along. Back home in Vegas, I only really ever hung out with Nick, Greg, or Warrick. It would be nice to have a day out with the girls.

I located my purse after breakfast while Jillian broke the news to the boys that they would be the ones to do the breakfast dishes. I was about to be ushered out the door by Samantha when Nick grabbed my arm. "Have fun," he whispered as he ran his hand down my arm until it was holding my own. He slowly brought it to his lips, before bowing his head to brush his lips lightly across my knuckles. This definitely wasn't like Nick. In response I leaned over to lay a kiss at the corner of his mouth. He looked surprised first, then pleased. Sam gave a low whistle as she watched the exchange. Nick and I broke apart and I let Samantha lead me to her car. I saw that Nick's sister, Leigh, was already in the backseat of the car.

We were barely out of the driveway before Samantha began talking to me.

"Okay, we're riding alone because we want to talk to you about some…things," She glanced over at me. "And I don't want my mom to hear. Now, you and Nick are more than just friends." I couldn't figure out if it was a question or a statement. When she looked over at me I guessed it was the former.

"No, we're just friends." I responded. We were, weren't we?

"Oh, come on Sara," Leigh exclaimed from the backseat. "Do you think we don't notice how he's always touching you, or giving you little kisses on the cheek, or hand, or head?"

"We do," Samantha cut in.

"Look, Leigh, Samantha…" I was cut off again.

"First, don't call me Samantha, only my mother calls me that. Everyone else just calls me Sam. Second, I really don't care if you're screwing my little brother. You can tell us."

"Sam, I've never slept with your brother. I've never even been on a date with your brother. And all those little kisses, those didn't start happening until this weekend. I think he's just trying to comfort me."

"He's trying to comfort you?" Leigh broke in.

"Yeah," I debated for a minute whether to tell them. "Nick mentioned last night that I was on mandatory leave," I took a deep breath, then continued. "It's because I was kidnapped. I was trapped under a car for 6 hours. Nick," my voice hitched. "Nick saved me, with help from Greg, another CSI."

"Oh my god," Sam breathed. Leigh was too shocked to say anything.

"So I think he's been trying to comfort me. I forced our boss to give him a vacation, but Nick was the one that dragged me out here. He knew I needed to get away. He's the best friend I've ever had."

"Oh, Sara, honey," Leigh whispered from the backseat. "We didn't know."

"No that's good," I smiled. "If you guys are going to like me, I want you to like me for me, not because you pity me, or because your brother told you to."

"Oh believe me Sara," Sam said. "We like you. And no one had to tell us to. Like we'd listen to Nicky anyway."

"Yeah, we'd love you even if Nick didn't" Leigh said. Then Sam shot her a look. "What?" Leigh asked Sam. "It's not like you can't tell just by looking at him that Nick's head over heels for her. I've never seen him look at a girl the way he looks at her."

I coughed lightly. "She's right here, you know." I said drily. And made them both laugh. We didn't talk about it for most of the afternoon. Later that afternoon, I was trying on a dress I thought was kind of pretty. I don't think Sam was thinking when she saw me in it because she made another comment.

"Oh my god, Sar. You're going to knock Nick on his ass with that dress."

"Samantha," Nick's mother warned.

"I mean," Sam smiled sheepishly. "You look great in that dress. Are you going to buy it?"

"I wasn't planning on it," I said shifting so I could see the back in the three way mirror. "I was really just trying it on because everyone else was trying stuff on. I don't really have the money to buy it."

"Oh, you're buying it. Hell, I'll buy it for you. You are wearing that dress to my engagement party tomorrow night. No ifs ands or buts."

And she did buy me the dress. But then I went and blew $70 on shoes to match. And another $56 on a bracelet and anklet set that looked great with it. Sam was a bad influence on me. It was a good thing she lived in Texas and I lived in Vegas, because a few more shopping trips like that and my life savings would be gone. But we had a really great time. I could see why Nick had gotten along so well with Sam when they were younger. She was a lot like him: fun, caring, and even a little crazy. I found myself wishing I had a sister, even more, I would have loved if Sam was my sister. I felt like I could tell her anything. So when Leigh rode back to the house with Mrs. Stokes and we were alone in the car together, I told her my best kept secret.

"I'm in love with your brother," I said abruptly. Sam turned to me and laughed. I got really confused. Was she laughing at me?

"I know, honey. I know."

So much for my best kept secret.

"Does he, do you think?" I asked tentatively.

"No. He's too busy being in love with you to notice." Sam looked over at me as she slowed to a stop at a red light. "You don't believe me, do you?"

"No, not really," I admitted. "Not that I think you don't know your brother or anything. But Nick and I have been friends for too long for anything like that…I mean, he would have told me before."

"Just like you've told him?" Sam asked. Damn. She had a point. But Nick and I, we just, things weren't like that between us. "Okay, you can believe me if you want to, but you don't have to. All I'm saying is I've never seen Nick with any other woman the way he is with you. I mean, sure, he brought girlfriends around all the time. We'd catch them making out when he thought none of us were around, or he'd give them nervous hugs when he knew we were around. But he's different with you. He's so sweet when you're around. He opens doors for you, and pulls out chairs, gives you little kisses, even when he knows we're all watching you two. He's never been like that with anyone else. He adores you, Sara."


	7. Captain Crash &the BeautyQueen from Mars

I'm not gonna lie, this chapter is pretty bad. It's filler, but its not even good filler. This title for this one is courtesy of Bon Jovi. Can you tell I kinda like that band?

_-hnm_

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Captain Crash and the Beauty Queen from Mars 

The next day, most of the family went out to get their nails done with Samantha. I stayed back with the guys and the kids to set up for the party that evening. Nick and I volunteered to do most of the setting up. The Stokes family was quick to oblige, not minding that they'd have less work to do. Nick and I hauled tables out to the yard from the basement and what seemed like hundreds of folding chairs. I layered blue and white table clothes to get a more elegant feel. I also hung blue streamers around the white tent we set up.

"Sam's going to love it," I sighed as I saw how nice it looked. There weren't any centerpieces on the table, though. I mentioned this to Nick, who just smiled at me and pulled out his car keys. I beamed at him, and hopped into his Tahoe so we could drive out to a craft store to find something. I ended up buying taper candles. Then I bought a bunch of white flowers from a vender we passed. I dragged Nick back into the craft store so we could find something to put all the daisies in. Did I mention I love daisies? I hoped my engagement party was as beautiful as I was making Sam's. I found little blue jars I could put the flowers in. Nick smiled, shook his head, and pulled out his credit card again.

We finished putting the backyard together before Sam and her sisters returned home. I was glad; I really wanted to surprise her with the way things looked. Nick and I found a bunch of old, empty wine bottles to put the candles in, giving the tables the look of an old Italian restaurant. Together with the flowers, and the blue and white streamers and table coverings, the backyard looked elegant and beautiful. I met Sam at the front door, eager to show her what we'd down. Nick covered her eyes and led her to the back. When he pulled his hands away, she gasped.

"Oh my god, Nick, Sara," She turned and gave me a hug. "This is beautiful. I was just going to throw those table cloths on. This is so much better." She swiped at her eyes. "I'm tearing up!"

I laughed then. "Sammy, don't you dare cry. Your eyes will get puffy and then what will we do? As it is we have to shower and get dressed. We don't have time to apply eight layers of makeup because you were crying!"

Sammy laughed with me and we headed into the house to get dressed. At the last second, Nick grabbed my hand. Then he just smiled and let it go again. It's like he was trying to confuse me. He was doing an awfully good job of it, too.

Sam showered first, then I did. She dragged me over to her room telling me that we were going to get ready together. First she helped me add a little gel to my hair and then blow dried it lightly so it fell in soft curls. I was thankful for Sam's help because it wasn't easy for me to get my hair to curl nicely like that. Then she applied just a hint of makeup. I looked better than I had in years. Finally I pulled on the dress Sam had bought me the day before. It was a white dress with a trail of red roses across the bottom of it. The dress had a halter top, but still showed off my, um, assets. It stopped a few inches short of my knees. I pulled on the sexy red sandals I had bought to match and with Sam's helped fastened the bracelet and anklet, both a silver vine of roses. All in all, I looked gorgeous. And I have low self esteem, so my saying that it is a big deal.

Next I got Sam ready. She was the whole purpose of the party. She wore a simple pink dress, and low heels. She left her hair down and did her own makeup. So basically she got ready herself, while I kept her company. Then she just hung out in her room. Andrea and Amy came in with Leigh and a bottle of champagne. I snuck out while they were distracted. I made it to the kitchen where Nick's mom was adding frosting to rows and rows of cookies.

"Hi, Jillian," I said as I entered. "Do you need any help with that?"

"Oh no, I'm fine. I wouldn't want you to get anything on that dress."

"Jillian, do you have an apron, because honestly, I want to help. Sam's up there with her sisters, I feel like I'm intruding. If you'd just let me help with something, it would really be nice."

"Well sure honey," she drawled. "Let me grab you that apron and you can finish making some wraps I started." She grabbed the apron then led me over to the counter where there were these little circular tortillas and a large bowl of chicken salad. "Here honey, you just drop a spoonful of this in there," she demonstrated, taking a small amount of the salad and dropping it onto the center of the tortilla. "Then just wrap it up like this and stick a toothpick in the middle. Andrea said she'd help with this but she just made off with a bottle of my champagne."

I made about 60 of the wraps when Sam came downstairs and pulled me away. I was almost finished anyway. She helped me take off the apron, then told me we were expected outside. After all, she was hosting the party with her fiancé, Mark. We stepped out into the setting sun and I saw that some people had already begun to arrive.

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ok, the party is going to be the next chapter! 


	8. Wonderful Tonight

Enjoy. The title is taken from Eric Clapton. -

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Wonderful Tonight

Nick was standing off to the side drinking a beer with his brother in law, Daniel. He laughed and took a swig from the bottle. As he was lowering the bottle, he spotted me. His eyes widened slightly. He pulled the bottle away from his lips, then licked them nervously.

He looked great. He was wearing Khakis and a dark blue long sleeved shirt. He shook his head at whatever Daniel was saying and made his way toward me. Sam reached down and squeezed my hand before stepping off to the side. I just stood there, on the deck, as Nick made his way across the lawn toward me. He stopped at the bottom of the steps and studied me for a minute.

"You're beautiful, Sara."

"You're not so bad yourself," I commented, giving him a smile. He didn't smile back. Instead he held out his hand. When I placed mine in his, he lightly brushed his lips across my knuckles. This was more serious than things had ever been between Nick and me. I felt butterflies in my stomach as he flipped my hand in his and pressed a kiss to my palm. He didn't let go of my hand, instead pulling me off the steps on to the lawn next to him. Using his other hand, he brushed one of my curls aside. He leaned down and lightly laid a kiss on the corner of my mouth. I shifted slightly, causing my lips to meet his. It was a soft, quick kiss, barely a brush of our lips. But when we pulled apart half the party was watching us. I blushed lightly as I saw Sam wink at me before walking toward her fiancé.

Nick led me off to introduce me to his family. He kept my hand in his. This felt different; I wasn't used to feeling like this with Nick. He was being too sweet, too nice, too serious. He was making me feel nervous. Friendly banter I could handle. Flirting that edged on crossing the line, I was okay with that. But Nick being so…so romantic. This was something foreign to me. He kept his hand on the small of my back as we passed a table lined with champagne glasses. He snagged one, handing it to me before grabbing one for himself. He stopped walking when we reached Daniel and, ironically Sam and Mark. His arm slid around my waist as he introduced me to Andrea's son, John. I shook hands with John. As Nick fell into conversation with his brothers, his grip on me loosened. But I felt myself leaning into him. He shifted his weight so that I fit more comfortably against his side. I gradually relaxed as I listened to the conversation around me.

"Hey, Nicky," Sam broke in after a while. "I'm going to go see if mom needs anything. Mind if I steal Sara?"

"No, I don't mind," Nick answered. But he ran his hand over my hip before I stepped away from him. He was playing dirty. "I'll catch you later, Sar."

Sam and I made our way towards the house, greeting people as we went. Finally we reached the kitchen. Sam just leaned back against the counter. She reached over and snuck a cookie from the trays Jillian had made up earlier.

"I'm sorry, I just needed to get away from all that boring talk about Daniel's stocks." Sam rolled her eyes at me. "He's a sweetheart, but honestly. How are you enjoying the party Sara?" She asked after a short pause.

"It's great. I was nervous about it, because I don't know anyone very well. Just you and Nick really. But I'm having a good time." Sam just nodded. I smiled at her. "Come on, Sam. Go ahead; I know you're just dying to say something."

"You guys are just so cute together!" She squealed. "When he saw you, oh, he was speechless. And it was almost like slow motion the way he crossed the lawn to you. It was like something straight out of a chick flick the way you turned your head just a little, so your lips met." She sighed. "I've never, ever seen my brother this way. Every time he looks at you it's like he'll never see you again. Oh my god, Sara. I don't think I can take much more of this. You need to do something. Make a move, because he's definitely waiting for you to."

"Sam," I sighed. "Let's just go back out there. Come on, it's almost time for dinner."

I walked outside ahead of Sam, I saw Nick notice me, but this time I made my way across the lawn to him. I think I surprised him a little when I slid my hand into his. During all this the caterers were setting up the tables. I looked at Nick and raised an eyebrow in question. He nodded and we walked toward the tables hand in hand. I looked at what the caterers were setting out. My heart sank a little when I noticed just about everything had meat in it. Nick realized it too. He stepped behind me and put his arms around my waist.

"Oh, Sara, I'm sorry," he whispered in my ear. "I didn't know…"

I leaned back into Nick and tilted my head up to look at him, my lips curved as his breath played across my skin. "It's okay, Nick. They couldn't have known. Besides, this means I can save more room for dessert."

We sat next to each other and enjoyed dinner. Nick fed me like four dinner rolls, insisting I had to eat something. Apparently the pasta salad, macaroni salad, and penne pasta didn't qualify as something. We talked and laughed, far less serious than we had been before dinner. While we were waiting on dessert, Sam's fiancé made a toast to her. It was so sweet. I felt Nick slip his hand into mine as we listened. I leaned into him, smiling when I saw how Sam melted when Mark talked to her. I let go of Nick's hand to applaud when he was finished.

After dessert, the tables were cleared and music began playing. Michael Buble's newest song, _Everything_, came on. Nick looked at me, knowing I loved that song. He stood up and offered me his hand. I took it willingly and he and I began to dance. His hand rested at the small of my back, mine on his shoulder. We gradually moved closer as we danced. At one point I stepped in a small hole in the grass and stumbled.

"Two left feet?" Nick asked with a low chuckle.

"Nah, I think you're just having a hard time keeping up."

"I'm having a hard time keeping up?" he teased, spinning me abruptly. I laughed as I fell back into him.

"I think you need to work on your technique, Nicky. I don't want to get hurt."

"Oh, you want technique?" He asked, his voice low, his accent a little thicker. "How's this?" And he spun me once, then twice, then effortlessly returned to a more traditional dance. I didn't think Nick could dance, I mean, I just wouldn't have figured him for it.

"Is that the best you can do?" I teased, my own voice a little husky. Then he abruptly turned me, swung me back into his arms, then dipped me to end the song. He leaned in, his mouth just a breath away from mine. I felt my heart pounding in my chest. "Touché," I murmured, just before his lips closed the distance.

Okay, all I'm going to say is this wasn't just a light brush of the lips. There was no mistaking the meaning behind this kiss. When Nick pulled away, he pulled us back up so we were standing upright again. He pressed a kiss to my forehead before we went to sit down. We sat next to Sam, who was already giving me a look. She was just dying to say something, I could tell. As I sat trying to listen to Sam talk about her wedding plans, Nick was playing with the hem of my skirt. I brushed his hand away, but then he just pushed the skirt higher and higher with his fingertip. I slapped his hand away. In response to that, he slipped his arm around my shoulder. I thought that was much safer, until his finger started wandering beneath the strap of my dress. Oh Nicky was being a bad boy.

It was all Nick and I could do to keep our hands off of each other for the rest of the night. We danced a lot, I think mainly as an excuse to touch each other. I don't know where that came from. Three days ago, Nick and I were just best friends and now… Well, I'd be surprised if the night ended with a simple kiss goodnight.


	9. I Want You to Want Me

I'm really sorry it took me so long to update, but I ran out of pre-written chapters. Then halfway through this one, I didnt like where it was going and scrapped the whole thing. Then I had family staying with me and my graduation party going on. I'm going to try to get another one up before I go on vacation on Saturday, but no promises. Again, sorry about the long wait, but I think this is my longest chapter yet!

I don't own anything yadda yadda yadda...and the title is the one, the only, Cheap Trick.

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I Want You to Want Me

Okay, the night didn't end with a simple kiss. After the party ended, Nick and I cleaned up a bit. We'd had a little to drink and weren't tired at all. We snuck up to the room I was staying in long after everyone else went to bed. I tried to be quiet, but everything Nick said to me seemed so funny. We were a little drunk; we were having a good time.

Ever since we'd embarked on this road trip of Nick's, he'd been so gentle, so sweet, and just so damn serious. That was good and all, but this, us laughing together, a little tipsy, this was what I loved most about Nick. I didn't let my figurative hair down around anyone else. With Nick I was completely comfortable being a bit silly. Even as Nick leaned in to steal kisses, we were laughing against each other's lips. When Nick had trouble undoing the clasp at the top of my dress, we chuckled. I giggled when Nick took in the sight of the sexy underwear that I'd worn (just in case I ended up in this exact position) and said, bemused, "isn't that…uncomfortable?" Even as things naturally progressed, I was still able to smile and laugh. None of my other relationships had been like that.

While I lay in Nick's arms, the comforter lightly thrown over us, I was happy. Not content, or satisfied, but truly happy. He glanced at me, before quietly asking, "Was it good for you too?" I smacked him lightly as he chuckled and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. Soon after, we both fell asleep.

The next morning I awoke to the sunlight streaming through the curtains in Nick's old room. The sheets were tangled around he and I, and his arm was possessively holding me to him. Nick was just too cute for words. I don't know how he manages it. I slipped out of his grasp and headed across to the bathroom to shower. I dressed quietly, careful not to wake Nick. Then I headed over to the den to check my email on Sam's laptop. She'd told me I could use it whenever I needed to.

When I walked in, I noticed Sam had already beaten me to the computer. I smiled at her as I lowered myself onto the couch in the den, a cup of coffee in my hand.

"Good morning, Sam." I said brightly. "How are you this morning?"

"Obviously not as good as you," she answered drily. Then she turned to me and cocked her brow. Then she glanced at the couch I was sitting on. "I take it Nick didn't sleep on the pullout last night."

It hit me then. I blushed, unable to meet her eyes.

"I always knew you'd end up in bed with my brother, but damn girl, you move fast," she said quietly.

"It's not like I just fell into bed with your brother, Sam. I've been in love with him for years. I won't fluff it up for you. I wanted him. He either wanted me, or did quite an impression of it. We don't need your permission, Samantha."

"You may not need it, but you have it all the same, Sara. Nick's in love with you. You're in love with him. You guys have wasted enough time; there's no sense in going slow now."

I gave her a confused look. "I thought you were mad at me."

"No," she laughed lightly. "Just remember, if you break my baby brother's heart, I'll break you."

And she would; I'm sure of it. Sam was protective of Nick, and he was just as protective of her. Again, I felt myself wishing I had siblings like that. Nick had this big happy family, and I had no one. Oh jeez, this is sounding like a Sara pity party. All I'm trying to say is that for the first time in a long time, I felt like part of a family. The Stokes' were just like that, I guess. They always made you feel welcome, never like an outsider.

"Hey honey," Nick said as he walked in. His accent was a little thicker than usual. He was definitely playing up his southern charm; not that he needed to.

"Oh well hey there sweetheart," Sam replied, laying hers on even thicker.

Nick grinned at her. "And you," he turned to me. "Good morning, baby." He came over and nuzzled my neck. "Did you sleep well?" When I nodded, he continued. "Good," he whispered in my ear. "You'll be wide awake later then." My heart sped up. Was he talking about what I think he was talking about? No way. Was he making blatant references to our sex life in front of his sister? As my mind started spiraling down a not-so-innocent path, Nick made it clear what he was talking about.

"Stokes' family football, baby. Wouldn't want you to be half asleep when I win MVP for the fourth time running." I swatted at his arm which had snaked its way across my waist.

"Oh Nicky," I mumbled. "I'll be anything but. You just try to keep up." I saw the confused look on his face. "Aw, Nick, you didn't know I loved football did you? Don't you remember that clean 500 I won off of Warrick when the Saints lost in the playoffs last year?" His mouth dropped.

"That was _you?__"_ I just smirked and sauntered out of the room. From behind me I heard him tell Sam, "Damn, half that money she won was mine." I chuckled softly to myself as I made my way downstairs.

Okay, so it didn't take me long to realize that Stokes' family football is practically a religion around here. It was all anyone could talk about at breakfast. Who was going to be on whose team? If Nick was going to steal MVP again. Yes, steal. Apparently the Stokes family thought Nick was quite the cheater when it came to football. I just sat back and laughed as they talked about the crazy antics that are a staple of their family football games.

After breakfast, Nick asked me if I wanted to go for a walk. I thought it would be a good idea. I could tell he wanted to talk about all that had been going on the past few days. I did too. Nick and I had been friends far too long to just rush in to something and ruin everything. I trusted Nick, and knew if we talked things out, everything would be alright. Nick may have a reputation as a ladies' man, but I knew Nicky was too much of a gentleman to just sleep with me one night, and leave me the next morning.

Nick took my hand in his as we made our way across his family's ranch. For a while, we didn't talk. We were content to just enjoy the morning. I think I could easily fall in love with Texas; it's beautiful here. No wonder Nick talks about the ranch so often. Las Vegas had nothing on this wide expanse of land he called home. I was lost in thoughts about what it would be like to grow up here when Nick cleared his throat. He does that a lot when he wants to get someone's attention but doesn't know how.

"Sara, I think we should talk about some things." He squeezed my hand lightly, but then to my surprise, dropped it.

"Okay, I think so too." I smiled at him. "You can go first."

"Okay. I just want you to know, Sar, last night wasn't just some rash one night stand. I pretty much frown upon sleeping with a woman I've never even taken on a single date." At this I laughed. "So we're going to call Sam's party a date. I don't want you to think I'm easy or anything." I laughed even harder at this. Leave it to Nick to take a perfectly serious conversation and turn it into something funny.

"Okay, we'll consider that a date." I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. "But, I still think you're easy."

"When it comes to you, Sar, I am." His voice had suddenly turned serious at this. We walked a bit further in silence. We wandered into the woods that edged the south side of the ranch. Nick had done all the talking so far and I felt that he needed me to take the next step and tell him how I was feeling in light of what had happened the night before.

"Nick, come here," I requested as I sat down on a bench located along the path. When he joined me, I continued. "Last night wasn't just a fling either. But," there's always a but isn't there? It's just how life works I guess. "I'm not so sure that you and I are such a good idea. We're coworkers. Not to mention we're on vacation, Nick. What happens when we go back to Vegas? What if it doesn't work?"

"I could spend all morning asking you 'what if?' but its not going to get us anywhere. Sara, I don't know what's going to happen when we return to Vegas. But I can't just pretend last night didn't happen. I've waited for you a long time, Sar, and I'm not doing it anymore. When I was in that box, I thought of you. It helped. After, you were the one person I was willing to open up to. When I found out Natalie took you, I thought my heart stopped. I can't go on pretending there's nothing going on between us. We've been dancing around the issue for seven years, Sara. I need to know, once and for all, if you feel for me anything close to what I feel for you."

Wow, was all I could think. Nick was definitely spilling his guts out to me. For a second, I felt like he knew exactly what I was feeling for him, that he was feeling it to. But then I remembered his words. Never once had he mentioned love. For all I knew, he could merely be talking about sexual tension. I didn't want to make a fool out of myself jumping to conclusions so I asked the straightforward question.

"And what do you feel for me?"

"Do I have to spell it out for you, Sar? I love you. I'm in love with you. I always have been."

I felt my lips curve into a smile. I leaned forward to capture his mouth for a kiss. When we finally came up for air, I mumbled, "Well, Cowboy, why didn't you just say so."

A few hours later, I was standing on the makeshift 50 yard line glaring at Nick and muttering about how he was a lying, cheating…

I had just been rudely thrown to the ground, and the ball stripped from my arms by the man smirking in front of me. No wonder his family accused him of "stealing" his MVP awards. The thing I don't think Nick realized is that I'm competitive. I'm very competitive. And he was only giving me more of a reason to want to whoop his ass.

We were tied, and Jillian was asking us to wrap it up so she could go in and make dinner. The next team to score a touchdown would win the game. And I'd just coughed up the ball. I needed a plan, and one just wasn't coming to mind. In lieu of a real plan, I just told Nick's niece, Charlotte to stick by me; I just wasn't able to cover Nick myself. Nick's brother snapped the ball to him and the play was underway. Everyone ran down the field, in anticipation of Nick's throw. I elected to stay back and cover the quarterback, my one and only Nicky. I slowly counted: one Mississippi…..two Mississippi…..three Mississippi….

Then a plan jumped into my head. I charged at Nick, but instead of trying to tackle him, which I knew I couldn't do, I just leapt up and wrapped my legs around his waist as I slung my arms around his neck. He was surprised first, but then he smiled. I wiggled a little as he took off for the end zone, one arm cradling the ball and the other holding me to him. He wasn't able to move faster than a slow jog, which meant we still weren't anywhere near our teammates, who were currently watching from the end zone. But Charlotte was supposed to stay nearby, however I didn't see her.

Not wanting to appear suspicious I just ran my hands over Nick. I flirted without ever opening my mouth. He continued to jog toward the other end of the field, smirking at me. His eyes were on mine and mine were on his. I knew how distracting I could be. I felt rather than saw Charlotte come up behind me. I slowly ran my hand down Nick's chest, ensuring he didn't notice Charlotte, or if he did, he didn't care. Then I quickly shifted my eyes to Charlotte, then back. Nick noticed. Before he could formulate the meaning of this, I slid my hand farther down and punched the ball out of Nick's arm. As it fell to the ground, Charlotte rounded us and swiped up the ball. She easily ran into the other end zone, as Nick couldn't chase her with me still clinging to him. Once she had scored, it was my turn to smirk at Nick as I jumped from his arms.

"You're going to pay for that," he growled.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to it.


	10. Love Hurts

Okay, I know this one is really really short. But it sets up the conflict for the rest of the story. I'm sorry it took so long between updates. I'm working on the next chapter right now. Promise.

* * *

Love Hurts

Nick and I spent the majority of our two week leave in Texas. I hung out with Sam and his niece, Charlotte. It was nice to spend time with women instead of just Nick, Greg, and Warrick.

Of course, I spent plenty of time with Nick. He was all I thought about, all I dreamt about. The only thing that kept me sane is the fact then when I awoke in the middle of the night with him on my mind, I could just snuggle closer to him. Having Nick at my side was something I didn't know I needed until it was there. But, as our two weeks drew nearer to an end, I began to panic.

What was going to happen when Nick and I returned to Las Vegas? I'm relatively sure our coworkers wouldn't mind us being together. It might bother Grissom; he'd get over it, though. But we were violating every rule in the CSI handbook. There was no way we could have a relationship without there being consequences.

I was afraid, deathly afraid that when we returned to Las Vegas one of us would be moved to day shift. That would mean that we would never see each other. It would almost be worse than us not being together. Nick kept saying it wouldn't be a problem. I think he was trying to convince himself as much as he was attempting to reassure me.

It was going to be a problem. As I hugged Nick's family, saying goodbye, I knew. I just felt it. Maybe Nick and I just weren't meant to be. If we went back to Vegas trying to convince ourselves everything would work itself out, when reality hit, it was going to break our hearts. I couldn't let that happen. I knew what I had to do. I wasn't happy about it, but I knew.

We were a few hours into the drive when Nick reached across and grabbed my hand. He gave me a weird look when I pulled it away from him. He placed his hand back on the steering wheel , and clearly was not happy.

"What's going on, Sara?"

"Nothing," I reassured him. "It's just too hot for stuff like that." I lied.

"Honey, the air conditioning's cranked-It's like 60˚ in here. That's not the problem and you know it."

"Let it go, Nicky."

He did. We drove the whole day in silence. When we stopped at a motel for the night, we got separate rooms. There was no meeting up for breakfast the next morning. I stayed in the car, messing with the radio when Nick pumped gas. I picked out music I knew he couldn't stand. The Goo Goo Dolls definitely were not his cup of tea. He gave me a look when he hopped back into the car, but he just slammed it into drive and pulled out of the lot. Again, we just sat in silence all day. Finally when we were about an hour outside Vegas, Nick spoke.

"Sara, I don't know what's going on here, but you're driving me nuts. " He shifted his eyes from the road to look at me. "You're not talking to me, and last I checked I didn't do anything wrong. Is this because you're worried about what happens when we get back to Vegas? I told you, it'll work itself out. It'll be fine."

"It's not gonna be fine!" I was surprised to hear my own voice. "It's not. They're not going to let us work together. Someone will get moved to days. I can't take that. I can't take never seeing you. I can't take a quickie in between shifts. That won't work for me Nick. I would rather see you every single day, just as a coworker than next to never as a lover."

"Sara, do you really think they'd move one of us."

"Yes, Nick. I do. Did you know Grissom's under evaluation? His job's on the line. Because of what he had with me. I won't do that to you."

"Sara-" I cut him off again.

"Nick, I know what I'm doing. We both know this is ridiculous. It was just a vacation fling. It was fun while it lasted."

Nick was speechless. I couldn't look at him. I knew what I said had cut deep. Hell, I might have just shattered the guy's heart into a million pieces. I couldn't look at him and see the pain on his face. I knew exactly the look that would be in his eyes. I couldn't look at that. My heart was already breaking. And I knew if I looked at him, he would know I was lying. This wasn't something I'd wanted to do. But I had to. I guess the graveyard shift at the Las Vegas Crime Lab just wasn't the place for romance.

* * *

I didn't see Nick again until we both returned to work the following Monday. We showed up at the same time. Rather than look at each other, we both stomped into the lab determined not to let the other know that we were hurting. I pushed past him into the break room and headed straight for the coffee pot. Warrick looked up at me as I passed.

"Hey, Sar, how was…" His voice trailed off as he noticed my mood. "Texas?" He finished.

"Oh, it was just dandy." I snapped.

"Nick," Warrick turned to him. "Did you have as much fun in Texas as our darling Sara here?"

"Goddammit Warrick," Nick blurted harshly. "Let it go." And he stormed out of the room.

I took my coffee and left as well. I figured I should go say hi to Greg and the lab rats. As I left the room I heard Catherine's voice behind me.

"Told you they'd hook up in Texas. That was a lover's spat if I ever heard one. That's fifty big ones Warrick."

Why do they always feel the need to bet on everything?


End file.
